Electric-line switch



(No Model.)

E. 1/1. BENTLEY. ELECTRIC LINE SWITCH.

No. 446,418. 1 Patented Feb. 17,1891.

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I a w @M lain tarps ED\VARD M. BENTLEY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

ELECTRIC-ll N E SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 446,418, dated February 17, 1891. Application filed February 15, 1890. Serial No. 340,510. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, EDWARD M. BENTLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric-Line Switches for a Suspended Line-Conductor of an Electric Railway, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my switch in position. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a plan thereof, and Fig. at is an end elevation with the line-conductor in section.

My invention relates to an overhead lineconductor for an electric railway, whichis divided into sections; and it consists in aswitch for connecting the sections, attached directly to the line-conductor, and of such a form as not to interfere with the passage of the trolley or contact device along the line.

This switch is operated by means of an insulated wire or cord, which extends to posts upon opposite sides of the street, and thence passing through a pulley terminates in a box on the post. In this way means are provided for readily cutting out of circuit temporarily any one or more of the sections of the lineconductor, as it is often desirable to do when a fault or ground occurs, or when other exigencies of service require.

Referring to the drawings, A and B are two adjoining sections of a suspended conductor. The adjoining ends of the two sections are each provided with an offset 0, firmly brazed to its upper surface, and so shaped as to permit the passage of the trolley-wheel below the wire. The two offsets O are placed end to end with an intermediate piece of insulating material D, and an insulating-bolt P is then passed through, and the two ends of the wire are thus firmly connected. Above the two offsets O and electricallyconnectin g them I provide the pivoted switch-plate E, which at one end is pivoted to one offset O and at the other end engages with the contact-spring K upon the other offset.

The switch is normally in a position to bridge the insulation and close the line-circuit; but it may be opened or closed at will by means of insulated wires L and R, which extend from it to poles upon opposite sides of the street, and thence passing through pulleys each terminates in a box attached to the post.

In the example shown L and R are wires provided with an insulatingdink S; but it is obvious that a cord may be employed instead, and it is also obvious that the cords may come to the same post, one of them being attached to the switch at apoint upon the opposite side of its pivoting-point.

It is furthermore obvious that the switch may be operated in one direction by a spring and in the other direction by a cord; but I prefer to operate it positively in both directions;

\Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, in an electric railway, of adjacent sections of a line-conductor suspended above the street, normally connected together electrically to form one of the branches of a two-wire circuit between which the motors are in multiple are, and a switch pivoted upon the upper side of one section, out of the path of travelof the contact device and permanently in circuit therewith, and adapted to make and break contact with the other section, as described.

2. The combination, with a sectional suspended line-conductor for an electric railway, having enlarged conducting-offsets upon the ends of adjacent sections thereof, of aswitch pivoted upon one of said offsets and adapted to swing into and out of engagement with the other offset, for the purpose described.

3. The combination, with a suspended lineconductor for an electric railway, divided into insulated sections, of a manually-operated switch normally connecting two sections of the conductor, and an operating cord or wire connected thereto and extending to the side of the street to a convenient operating point.

4. The combination, with adjacent sections of line-conductor, of an offset on the end of each conductor, intervening insulating material between the two offsets, an insulatingbolt, and a switch bridging the insulating material and connecting the two offsets.

5. The combination, with a suspended lineconductor divided into sections, of an offset 10 of thecontact device, joining two adjacentsections thereof electrieally and an operating cord or wire extending from said switch to a side post and there provided with an opcrating-extension reaching down along the post to a convenient position.

EDlVARD M. BENTLEY.

Vitnesses:

S. G. CROSWELL, R. L. LOVELL. 

